Seaford College alumnus profile: Felicity Lloyd-Coombes

Name: Felicity Lloyd-Coombes.

Years you attended Seaford: 1997-2004.

House: Mansion.

Position of responsibility held, if any? Prefect.

What do you do for a living now? I run my own business, Lloyd-Coombes Ceramics – Animal Sculpture. The main part of my business is selling my sculptures but I also teach short courses, hold demo days and talks, provide work to galleries and take on personalised commissions.

Have you always done this? Yes. I went to Loughborough University to study ceramics and set up my business full-time straight after graduating.

What are your happiest memories from your time at Seaford? Being a boarder and the family atmosphere that is formed within the boarding house between friends and staff. When you leave you make many friends, at university and work, but they never know you as well as those you have lived with and grown up with.

What do you feel were the greatest benefits of attending Seaford? The opportunity to board. You are treated as an individual and encouraged to be an individual; taught to follow the expectations you set for yourself, not ones that are put upon you by others.

Are you still in touch with many other alumni? Yes.

When was the last time you were back at the school? In June to teach a workshop. Prior to that, I’d been back a few years earlier to show my husband where I grew up.

How did you come to be involved in your line of work? Through Seaford teaching ceramics as a GCSE.

What are your plans for the future? To relocate the business to the Brecon Beacons, where it will have space to grow. We will be building accommodation for my courses and developing a hands-on area with the animals to teach and inspire the students.

What advice do you have for current Seaford pupils? To the girls: enjoy! You will probably only live in a mansion once in your life.